Leonard Fuld, author of
The Secret Language of
Competitive Intelligence: How to See Through & Stay Ahead of
Business Disruptions, Distortions, Rumors & Smoke Screens
(Crown Business, $25), takes a moment to speak with us about his
new book and what "CI" really is. - Chris Tucker.
What's Competitive Intelligence, and where do we find
it?
It's all kinds of bits and pieces of information that give insight
and competitive advantage. It could be something learned from a
trade show, a document, or a conversation your sales people have.
So it's not spying, but it's not just browsing the New
York Times either?
No. Browsing is not in the CI lexicon. It's not a laid-back
pursuit. It's aggressive.
What's Rule No. 1 of CI?
Wherever money is exchanged, information is exchanged. It's there
if you know how to look.
What are some of the enemies of good CI?
Groupthink is one - drawing conclusions based on what "everybody
knows is true." And there's denial. For almost a decade, Kodak
denied that
digital cameras threatened its business. They said
sales declined because of a recession or some other problem.
Of course, the IBMs and Microsofts of the world make big
investments in CI. Can little guys also play the game?
Everyone should play. Small companies may actually have an
advantage because they're closer to the street and what's really
going on, with fewer layers of bureaucracy to penetrate.
Call It In
Can the commute. The first travel-ready (6.5" by 3.3" by 1.2")
handheld to marry a Windows XP-enabled computer with a Windows
Mobile 5.0-equipped smartphone,
DualCor's cPC
brings the office to your front pocket. Place calls, check e-mail,
access
PDA functions, or fill a 30 GB hard drive with videos and
presentations. A five-inch LCD touch screen makes navigation even
more simple than stuffing it in your carry-on. $1,500.
www.dualcor.com
- S.S.
Brain Food
Urbanites wanting to sharpen mental acuity are reviving
conversational salons across the United States - and in doing so,
they're fulfilling a need for intellectual exercise and a desire
for stronger community ties. (Not to mention that medical research
shows that people who engage their minds well into old age can
stave off
memory loss and disease.)
The most common salon format is the neighborhood book club, though
some salons are more radical - members meet with the goal of
effecting social or political change. Indeed, Napoleon Bonaparte
confessed to having more difficulty quashing opposition from
brilliant women like original salon hostess Madame de Staël than
from jealous generals. - Amanda Howe
Some of the best places to fill up on food for
thought
Institute for Interesting People (www.iipdallas.com). Salon hostess
Regen Fearon brings thought leaders such as
Tipping Point
author
Malcolm Gladwell and satirist
Andy Borowitz to
Dallas. |
Elgin Salon (
www.elginsalon.org). A group of self-described
vintage hippies who converse for pleasure's sake near
Chicago. |
The Future Salon (
www.futuresalon.org). The future is now, according to
these San Francisco-area digerati. |
Cambridge Saloon
Salon (
www.naturalism.org/css.htm).
Leave it to civilized Bostonians to combine beer and stimulating
conversation. | Meetup.com. Start your own salon offline by using
this popular website that brings together people with shared
interests or causes.